Various - Awakenings 2005

Well, three CDs for £11.95 (at the time of writing) containing over three hours forty-five minutes of music can't be bad! We have tracks donated by well known favourites such as Binar, RMI, Skin Mechanix and AirSculpture plus some of the more successful new kids on the block: The Omega Syndicate, Create and The Glimmer Room. That is not all though as this collection also provides an opportunity for some of those artists who are currently just 'bubbling under the surface' to be heard. Binar are represented by 'Curious Things Inside the Snowmine' combining nice body moving beats with fitting samples and melodies. It's a good track but there are much better ones on their recent albums.

The track by Create 'Surface Control' on the other hand is probably the best track I have heard from him - a wonderful sequencer driven piece. Unfortunately I was not as convinced by much of the rest of his first solo album though I am certain that future albums could be belters. His other track here 'Slipstream', for me just confirms my view. Again, there is nothing really wrong with the track, it hints at great things to come (as I am sure there will be) but it isn't quite there yet. Hyper Ex Machina is one of the newer names here and 'The Pulse Quickens' is a pleasant piece combining at least three different sequencer lines with subtle melodic touches. From just after the half way mark a relatively heavy rhythm is added and we bounce forward in a very enjoyable manner- nice one. Their second track 'Divine Flow with Cold Joy 4' begins with a long vocoded intro to be followed by a series of melodic / rhythmic loops. Vietgrove can hardly be said to be prolific but they are kind enough to give what I assume is a non-album track 'Saragossa II'. Guitar and synths are combined beautifully with a fair dose of gentle prog rock leanings to create a lovely sunny Sunday afternoon atmosphere.

In complete contrast we get a new otherwise unavailable track by RMI called 'Sherwood's Special' which delves the darker ambient side of their character. Modulator ESP are represented by the gently pulsating drifting number 'Transpatial' but even better is the far longer 'Dark Star Voyage' which is initially a much moodier, atmospheric, spaced out number. In the sixth minute sequences are developed followed by some lovely lead lines. It does have rough edges but all in all is one of the better tracks on this triple CD set certainly marking them a potentially (like Create) very exciting act to watch for the future. I would love to hear more of their stuff. 4m 33s comes up with 'Atmosphere', a slowly evolving piece built round a tinkling sequence. The Omega Syndicate's first offering 'Mission 11' is an example of their more sensitive, subtle side as dark atmospherics give way to an excellent sequence. More sequences are added as well as a lovely synth flute lead line. The track builds beautifully but without ever getting too OTT. When we add their second offering 'Rave-O-Lution' it amounts to over half an hour of new music by them. It has to be said though that this second track is by no means typical TOS as it deploys a bass dance beat pretty much right from the off! It is certainly still an exciting track but I am sure it will raise a few eyebrows. I would love to hear what current fans have to say about it.

Awen was a new name to me. 'Ko' is a piece very much in two halves the first being almost orchestral / symphonic where as the second half develops into something of a dance number! Their other track 'Ocean of Joy', however, is much more Eastern tinged with appropriate wailing vocals to start it off, soon to be joined by some more excellent rhythms. All the elements go together really well and if Asana was still around I can imagine this being the sort of music he would be coming up with. Nice one- I hope we will hear more of Awen. AirSculpture's imaginatively titled new track 'Untitled so Far' shows a rather different side to their character in that mixing with their more typical sequences is a much more contemporary beat along with a sawing lead line doing its stuff lower in the mix. The Glimmer Room's '707' is yet another new piece and is full of the Eastern characters around some lovely laid back rhythms, exquisite lead lines coming in especially after the half way mark. Simply gorgeous. Skin Mechanix donate 'Ultravista' a very representative track from their album full of infectious beats hissing like a steam engine and catchy little melodies. Second Thought give us a relatively contemporary sounding slow rhythmic number ideal for simply chilling out to and the even more relaxing 'Rooftops'. The latter starts with a delicate guitar melody followed by strings but for me, unfortunately, it didn't seem to work as it developed.

Ganzfeld's 'We Are Your Audience' and 'Test Object' on the other hand did work being superb upbeat tracks with lovely melodies- another act to look out for. Ron Boots donates 'Spherics', a nice enough chugger that I suppose could be said to be quite hypnotic but on the other hand it probably could have done with a little more development- depends on the mood of the listener I suppose. Joint Intelligence Committee (aka Paul Nagle) give us the otherwise unavailable track 'Hot: Pot; Supper which is a lovely spaced out number full of appropriate little psychedelic effects. Now, this is a track that develops well. The beat becomes more insistent as we go and one melody after another are brought into play, some gentle and others with real bite. Excellent.

Tracklist:

1-01 Binar - Curious Things Inside The Snowmine 6:05
1-02 Create (2) - Surface Control 9:16
1-03 HyperEx Machina - The Pulse Quickens 8:12
1-04 Vietgrove - Saragossa II 7:23
1-05 Radio Massacre International - Sherwood's Special 8:22
1-06 Modulator ESP - Transpatial 10:12
1-07 4m33s - Atomsphere 9:34
1-08 Omega Syndicate, The - Mission 11 14:49
1-09 Awen - Ko 5:34
2-01 HyperEx Machina - Divine Flow With Cold Joy 4 7:24
2-02 AirSculpture - Untitled So Far 7:02
2-03 Glimmer Room, The - 707 7:08
2-04 Skin Mechanix - Ultravista 8:44
2-05 Second Thought (2) - Machine 4:46
2-06 Awen - Ocean Of Joy 4:35
2-07 Ganzfeld - We Are Your Audience 6:38
2-08 Ron Boots - Spherics 8:02
2-09 Ganzfeld - Test Object 4:20
2-10 Joint Intelligence Committee - Hot; Pot; Supper 9:59
2-11 Second Thought (2) - Rooftops 6:32
3-01 4m33s - Marsh-wisps Scatter At Dawn 2:58
3-02 Create (2) - Slipstream 24:32
3-03 Modulator ESP - Dark Star Voyage 27:39
3-04 Omega Syndicate, The - Rave-o-Lution 17:25